Heart Healthy Food

Valentine’s Day is a day away. Such a happy week and day! We’re doing our last Valentine’s post and we’re taking a little different approach. We’re looking at heart healthy foods. Oh, and we haven’t forgotten or left out our Oscar Dress card, we’re gonna do up a card and our top 10 list of dresses next week so hold tight!

We usually do the typical Valentine post, heart crafts and sweet treats but today we’re going to delve into some foods that support heart health. Literal hearts!

Top Heart Heathy Foods:

1.      Leafy Greens – They a great source of vitamin k which helps with promoting proper blood clotting and to help with good artery function. Some include, spinach, kale, and collard greens which are full of minerals and vitamins and antioxidants.

2.      Whole Grains – They are high in fiber which can help reduce bad cholesterol. Common whole grains are quinoa, oats, rye, brown rice, and barley.

3.      Berries – Are also high in antioxidants and help with controlling the bad cholesterol. Blueberries in particular help improve cells that promote blood clotting. Berries that are good to have are strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

4.      Avocados – Are high in monounsaturated fats which help lower cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. They are considered a healthy fat and are also high in potassium.

5.      Beans- Beans can reduce the levels of blood triglycerides and bad LDL cholesterol. They can also help reduce blood pressure and inflammation which are linked to heart disease.

6.      Dark Chocolate – Yum! It is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids and can help lower the risk of heart disease. Make sure to have a high quality of dark chocolate though with at least 70% of cocoa.

7.      Tomatoes – They have lots and lots of lycopene that has powerful antioxidant properties which can neutralize harmful free radicals that can lead to inflammation and heart disease.

8.      Garlic – It contains allicin which has therapeutic effects. It can help reduce platelet buildup that can lead to strokes and blood clots.

9.      Olive Oil – Again it is loaded with antioxidants that can relieve inflammation and decrease the risk of chronic disease. The monounsaturated fats in it helps with heart health.

10.  Green Tea – It has a lot of polyphenols catechins which can prevent cell damage and improve heart health. It can also decrease blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

Mint'd Mojito - Mojito "Recipes"

Sadly, we are getting close to the end of our fun Summer theme. We do have three more posts so that’s exciting. Today our shade is called “Mint’d Mojito” by Fenty and they call it a metallic mint blue.

We’ve decided to break down the Mojito so we’ve found a few interesting recipes featuring the mint and the lime. If you don’t already know, a mojito has both lime and mint flavours in it along with some alcohol. I’ve never had one myself but it always looks so refreshing and bright.

Here’s a recipe for one...

You need 2 ounce of light rum, 2 tsp. of sugar, 6-8 fresh mint leaves, a splash of club soda, and 1 lime cut in half.

Place the sugar, mint leaves, and splash of club soda into a highball glass. Muddle well to dissolve the sugar and to release the flavour of the mint.

Squeeze the juice from both halves of the lime into the glass and drop one half in.

Add the rum and stir well.

Top with club soda and garnish with fresh mint.

If you are in the mood for a different take/approach to a mojito then check these recipes (that we thought represented the lime and mint quite well) out and give them a try.

Here are a couple savoury recipes...

Moroccan Chicken

1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite size cubes

2 cloves garlic

1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tsp. dried chile de arbol, seeds removed (1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper)

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

1 Tsbp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 small to medium lemons grated & juiced

1 ounce jar marinated artichoke quarters

1 bunch asparagus, cut into quarters

Vinaigrette:

1 lemon, juiced & zest

1/2 a lime, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. honey

Goat Cheese Yogurt:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Place the chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag or medium size bowl.

In a food processor add the garlic, ginger, dried chile de arbol (or cayenne), cilantro, parsley, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Process 1-2 minutes or until everything is finely chopped.

Stream in 1/2 cup olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss well. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To make the vinaigrette... add the lemon zest and juice to a small sauce pot. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer, about 1 minute or until the zest absorbs the juice. WATCH CLOSELY, you do not want the zest to get burnt to the pan.

Spoon the zest out of the pot and into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, parsley, salt, honey and lime juice. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

To make the minted goat cheese yogurt mix together the Greek yogurt, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the crumbled goat cheese. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Thread the chicken, asparagus and artichokes onto metal skewers (or wood skewers that have been soaked in water). I alternated with asparagus+ artichokes and then chicken, repeat. Place the chicken on the grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the centre, about 5 minutes each side. You may also cook the chicken in a skillet if needed. Serve the chicken with the the lemon herb vinaigrette and the minted goat cheese yogurt.

Lime Shrimp Avocado Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. honey

2 limes, juiced

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 shallot, finely diced

1½ cups sweet corn, frozen and thawed or fresh

1 can black beans

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ lb frozen shrimp, defrosted

¼ cup parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Cook your quinoa following directions on the package. Fluff the quinoa with a fork after it’s done cooking and set aside to cool.

Whisk the olive oil, honey, lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper. Finely dice the shallot and mix in with the dressing. Set aside.

Prepare all the vegetables for the salad.

Spoon the cooled quinoa into 4 bowls and divide up the vegetables placing them on top of the quinoa. Next, add your shrimp to the bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle chopped parsley over top.

For something sweet...

Mint Butter Cream Icing

4 cups of Powdered Sugar

1 cup Butter

1 Tbsp. Milk

1/2 tsp. Peppermint Extract

Yellow and blue food colouring

Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl.

Add softened sticks of butter

Add 1 Tbsp. of milk.

Beat on low until powdered sugar is incorporated. Then move mixer up to medium-high speed.

Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When completely mixed the frosting may appear dry.

Add more milk, a little bit at a time until frosting is the proper consistency.

Add Peppermint Extract.

Mint Chocolate Popsicles

2 2/3 cups full fat coconut milk

3/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

peppermint extract (optional, and to taste)

food colouring (optional)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Combine coconut milk and fresh mint leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes. Strain infused coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the mint with the back of a spoon. Whisk in sugar, salt, peppermint extract, and food colour (2 drops green, 1 drop blue) until smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Stir chopped chocolate into mixture and fill popsicle molds, leaving a 1/2-inch of space at the top of each mold. Freeze for about an hour, then insert popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. To unmold, let popsicles stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from molds and serve.

Key Lime Chex Mix

Ingredients:

9 cups Rice Chex cereal

1 1/4 cups white chocolate baking chips

1/4 cup butter

4 tsp. grated key lime peel

2 Tbsp. fresh key lime juice

2 cups icing sugar

Instructions:

Measure cereal into a large bowl, set aside. 

In a microwave safe bowl put chips, butter, peel and juice uncovered on High for 1 minute; stir.   

Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.

Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

Add icing sugar. Seal bag; gently shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container. 

Veggie Cookies

Now that Thanksgiving is over and done with, we’re going to do a mini cookie theme for our blogs in the coming weeks. Maybe it’ll give you some inspiration for your holiday baking that’s to come or maybe it’ll be some sweet treat to snack on after the weeks of pumpkin flavoured things.

When I say healthy cookies, you’re probably thinking, healthy cookies, yeah right! No cookies can be perfectly healthy and they don’t need to be because they are treats, but these couple of recipes have hidden veggies in them that can make them a healthier choice for a sweet treat if you are craving one. We’re using zucchini and the ever so popular avocado (which is actually a fruit) to make some healthy cookies.

First off...some chocolate chip zucchini cookies.

You will need:

1 ½ cups of flour

1 tsp. of cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

½ cup of butter

¾ cup of sugar

1 egg

¾ tsp. of vanilla

1 ½ cups of zucchini (about 1 medium one)

2 cups of quick oats

1 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

First of all, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then grate your zucchini and set aside.

Now you can mix up your dry ingredients in a bowl.

Next cream the butter and sugar together with your mixer. Add in the vanilla and egg.

Now add in the zucchini and then gradually add the flour mixture.

Finally stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Scoop onto a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes or until just about golden brown.

Let cool on racks a bit and enjoy.

Next up...fudgy chocolate chip avocado cookies!

For these cookies you will need:

1 ripe avocado, mashed

¼ cup of sugar

¼ cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. of vanilla

½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup of flour

½ tsp. of baking soda

¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

*I doubled the recipe when I made it because it seemed like it wouldn’t make too much.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mash you avocado and then add the sugars, egg, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda.

Your mashed avocado mix will be quite runny so you can do this next step by hand (no mixer needed). Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.

Lastly add the chocolate chips in.

Scoop onto a prepared cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set. Don’t over bake.

Veggie/fruit cookies...yum!